Seriously ill girl allowed to die

PaulStat · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:40

"A terminally ill girl has won the right to refuse treatment after a hospital ended its bid to force her to have a heart transplant.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust dropped a High Court case after a child protection officer said Hannah Jones was adamant she did not want surgery.

Hannah, 13, of Marden, near Hereford, said she wanted to die with dignity.

She said the operation might not work, and if it did work, it would be followed by constant medication."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7721231.stm

Now admittedly I don't know all the circumstances of the case, and there is no quote of likelihood of the operation (which I presume to be a heart transplant) being a success. But surely a life of taking immuno suppressive drugs is better than no life at all?

Cob · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:42

She doesn't think so.

And, tbh, that's all that should matter.

KaHn · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:42

But having a life of constant hospital visit and a life time of possible infection and generally a subdued life can not be considered as a full life.

I know I wouldn't want to live like that.

KaHn

Delvis · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:44

Like what? With hospital treatment constantly or the heart condition?

Skidder · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:46

To each his or her own, but I think as long as I could read I would want to carry on. & manage pain I suppose.

Glaucus · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:47

Cob said:
She doesn't think so.

And, tbh, that's all that should matter.

exactly, her choice. the hospital should never of took legal action.

Dolph · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:52

Cob said:
She doesn't think so.

And, tbh, that's all that should matter.

Indeed.

KNiVES · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:54

I'm pro-life, but also pro-choice too. It's good that they ultimately went along with her wishes. The importance of dying with dignity is lost on the majority of doctors and courts which is a pretty sad thing.

Tefal · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:56

Wait is this like even after the transplant she'd be stuck in a bed or in pain, or is it just like everyone else who has transplants and just has to take lots of pills/avoid certain things?

Cause if it's the later then this is a kindda stupid choice :/

knowledge123 · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:58

A truly sad story

Imho, I do think that she was a little too young. At 13 you're I don't think that a person is quite capable of making and fully understanding decisions like that. That's not to say she was wrong in her decision because it was hers, and only hers, to make.

Flukester · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:59

at 13 years old she should not be allowed to make decisions like that... with a transplant you can have quite a normal life, I have a relative with a new heart.

bledd · 11 Nov 2008 at 10:59

poor thing

Delvis · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:02

Reading the article, it does say this half way:

Hannah previously suffered from leukaemia and her heart has been weakened by drugs she was required to take from the age of five.

So...I guess she's sick of drugs? It's also silly that the hospital was almost going to force her to have the op...

Hannah, who has a hole in her heart, was interviewed by the child protection officer after the trust applied for a court order in February to force the transplant

KNiVES · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:03

Flukester said:
at 13 years old she should not be allowed to make decisions like that... with a transplant you can have quite a normal life, I have a relative with a new heart.

Read the OP again - she would still be bedridden for the rest of her life, on heavy medication. It's not as simple as getting a new heart and being on your merry way in this case I'm afraid - or the court wouldn't have stopped being its usual belligerent way and allowed her to pass.

RDM · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:03

Flukester said:
at 13 years old she should not be allowed to make decisions like that... with a transplant you can have quite a normal life, I have a relative with a new heart.

I would assume that if the hospital were taking it to court then her parents will have decided to follow their daughters wishes.

mrk · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:03

Something along these lines was covered in Dexter recently and I agree, dying quickly and peacefully is a far better option than putting the remainder of your life of suffering, medication and confinement into someone else’s constant care until you actually die.

Freefaller · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:05

Poor girl

Obviously a tough decision, and I'm sure she didn't make it alone. What a horrid thing to have to go through

KNiVES · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:13

Freefaller said:
Poor girl

Obviously a tough decision, and I'm sure she didn't make it alone. What a horrid thing to have to go through

The realization that you've come to the end of your life, and will never experience the pleasures of growing into adulthood, and all the things you've seen everyone else do and go through must be incomprehensibly horrible. It really is quite sad.

Delvis · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:14

KNiVES said:
The realization that you've come to the end of your life, and will never experience the pleasures of growing into adulthood, and all the things you've seen everyone else do and go through must be incomprehensibly horrible. It really is quite sad.

To be honest..I don't think I was thinking much about thing's like that at 13...Then again I did have other thing's on my mind at the time.

But it would be a weird feeling, to 'know' your going to die.

Knubje · 11 Nov 2008 at 11:15

Flukester said:
at 13 years old she should not be allowed to make decisions like that... with a transplant you can have quite a normal life, I have a relative with a new heart.

It's what she wanted - and her parents supported it. She has been assessed and is all too familiar with the consequences if she doesn't have the transplant.

Having been in and out of hospital quite regularly with Lukemia from aged 4 - and then the cause of her condition now being related to the treatment she received to combat the lukemia, I doubt her confidence lies with doctors and hospital.

A terrible thing to come to terms with for her and the family. Lets just hope she enjoys her life while she can.